Steve Marcus
A Las Vegas Lights fan cheers during Lights FC’s home opener against the Tacoma Defiance at Cashman Field on Saturday, June 5th, 2021. The Lights knocked out the Defiance 2-0.
Sunday, June 6, 2021 | 2 a.m
Las Vegas Lights fan Jose Antonio Arana has always had a passion for soccer, or as he calls it, the “beautiful sport”.
The 43-year-old grew up with the Club Deportivo Águila in his home country of El Salvador and continues to follow him religiously to this day. But he’s also a die-hard Lights fan.
Arana has been part of the “Luz y Fuerza” self-help group since the Lights franchise was founded four years ago. Before the home game against Tacoma Defiance on Saturday, the “Barra” was on the track outside of Cashman Field.
Armed with drums, large flags, red and yellow torches, and powerful lungs, the group is one of two encouraging the lights at Cashman Field. Arana hits a bass drum.
As the sun set at 108 degrees, a Mexican “norteño” music trio played acoustic guitars and electric bass while the members of Luz y Fuerza cheered, grilled meat, danced in circles and invited passers-by to join them.
“It doesn’t matter if the team wins or loses,” said Arana, who has been in the US for 20 years, in Spanish. “You have to support your home team.”
Arana, who owns a gardening company, hopes that one day Las Vegas can get a Major League Soccer franchise. At the moment he is more than happy to support the Lights.
“I know we all miss our homes, miss our clubs with all our hearts, but in Las Vegas we have to support the Las Vegas team,” he said.
Shortly after the referee blew the opening whistle, the members of Luz y Fuerza made their way to their seats behind one of the goals while bass drums boomed and snares snapped.
They were joined by thousands in the stands, people of all hues, ages and heights. Some posed for photos with Dollie, the team’s llama. Cash the Soccer Rocker, the other mascot, stepped onto the field on a motorcycle, blue smoke billowing from flares attached to it.
The team has done pioneering work in creative sitting: children splash around in the children’s pool on the edge of the field and other fans watched from their Toyotas parked on the opposite sidelines.
At the start of the game, fans cheered when a Lights player tried to chip the Tacoma goalkeeper off a midfield shot.
Not long after, in the 18th minute, the Lights’ Cal Jennings hit with a pass over the goalkeeper. Cannons shot blue and yellow confetti, the flags swung back and forth.
Bryce Duke sealed the game for the Lights with a goal in the 74th minute for a 2-0 win, the first for Las Vegas (1: 4) in the young season.
